USC offers four-year scholarships in football, basketball

USC announced Monday it would offer four-year scholarships in football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball instead of its previous method of awarding one-year renewable scholarships.

The new policy goes into effect July 1 for all current and future football and basketball players.

“In taking this action, USC hopes to help lead the effort to refocus on student-athlete welfare on and off the field,” USC athletic director Pat Haden said.

USC is hardly the first school to offer four-year scholarships. Big Ten schools Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, Michigan State, Iowa, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Illinois and Nebraska started giving out four-year scholarships in football in 2012.

But USC’s decision is likely to prove popular with recruits. It is not common for scholarships to be revoked but coaches were given that option in those sports. If an athlete protested, a committee would decide whether the scholarship was renewed. Athletes usually chose to leave anyways because they did not want to play for a coach who wanted them to transfer.